The Visitor
by TricksAndTreats 3 Contest
Summary: Bella and Edward plan to have a frightful Halloween getaway filled with ghosts and things that go bump in the night, but an unwelcomed visitor has other plans for them… Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.


Title of Story: The Visitor

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Edward

Genre: Suspense/Horror

Word Count: 6,089

Story Summary: Bella and Edward plan to have a frightful Halloween getaway filled with ghosts and things that go bump in the night, but an unwelcomed visitor has other plans for them…

Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

The silence is terrifying, which is definitely appropriate for this Halloween night. But this silence is not a thrill, nor is it comforting, considering we're outside.

There should be _some_ kind of sound coming from the woods: animals, bugs, the wind rustling the leaves on the ground or blowing through the trees, but there's nothing. The only sounds I hear are the twigs and leaves snapping and crunching under our feet as we slowly walk down the desolate dirt road.

To up the creepiness factor, the moon is obscured by a thick layer of storm clouds and the only miniscule light we have is coming from the tiny flashlight in Edward's hand. I'm glued to his side, holding his free hand tightly with both of mine.

Normally, I wouldn't be such a big baby. I'm a huge enthusiast for all things scary, but within _reason._ Walking out in the middle of nowhere is _not_ my idea of fun. My idea of fun is going to a public place like a haunted house attraction or staying at our house, watching horror movies.

Now, I'm probably going star in one in real life.

 _Wonderful._

Edward had promised me a spectacular Halloween experience, since it's my favorite holiday. Well, to use his words, it would be a "spook-tacular" Halloween experience. I had begged him for details on where we would be going and what we would be doing, but he kept everything under wraps, wanting it to be a secret.

At the moment, I'm not too big a fan of how things are going. First, we had to leave the car parked by an old wooden gate, with chains and a padlock on the front. Then, we had to jump said fence and apparently walk down this spooky road to get to our destination.

It's all part of the experience. Or so Edward had said.

So far, I'm not a fan.

"Where are we going?" I ask, doing a pretty good job of sounding calm and collected. Too bad there's a slight tremor in my hand, giving my lack of confidence away.

He chuckles, squeezing my hand lightly and kissing my temple. "Don't worry. You'll like it."

"Famous last words in horror movies when they're walking around in the woods. They always end up dead," I mutter, making him laugh lightly again.

We continue walking along, though my nervousness doesn't get any better. It seems to get darker the further we continue on, my heartbeat seeming to pound a little bit faster with each footstep as a cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.

"It's so creepy out here," I reply, shivering as I scan the darkness around us. Taking a deep breath, I count to ten in my head, trying to soothe the trembling in my hands. "Shouldn't there be some sort of sound? The wind? Animals? Something?"

"One, there's only light wind and _I've_ heard it. Two, the animals are probably being quiet because we're walking around and they're scared, and three, just look at it this way: it's quiet, so if some crazed killer is coming up on us, we'll be able to hear them."

I glare at him and lightly slap his shoulder. "That's not funny, asshole," I hiss.

He laughs. "It's a little funny."

Knowing he can't see me that clearly, I move his hand holding the flashlight toward me, so he can see just how unamused I am. I don't hear him, but I definitely feel the rumble of laughter he's trying to suppress.

As he holds the flashlight back out in front of him, I catch a glimpse of shoulders covered in a plaid shirt and a face peeking from behind a tree a few feet ahead. I freeze and gasp, further tightening my grip on his hand. The trembling in my arms and legs have increased, my shoes scraping against the dirt.

"What was that?" I whisper, unable to speak louder around the lump in my throat. I'm not sure I even want to, if someone is watching us from the woods.

"What was what?"

"In the trees. Over there," I say, slowly moving the flashlight where I saw the figure standing.

Holding my breath and swallowing thickly, I watch where the beam of light shines over the area, revealing nothing but trees and overgrowth from the bushes.

Edward points the light around the area before shrugging. "There's nothing there. Your eyes must be playing tricks on you. Come on, I think we're close to our destination."

Hopefully, what he said is true; hopefully, my eyes _were_ just playing tricks on me. Nevertheless, I want to be out of this area. Whether I saw something or not, anything sounds better than being out here in the open.

We continue on a few more feet until the distinct sound a twig breaking catches our attention. Both of us pausing, I can hear Edward's audible swallow as he slowly moves the light in the direction the sound came from.

Holding my breath, I watch with wide eyes as the light sweeps over the trees, showing us nothing that shouldn't be there. As Edward continues his slow sweep, we hear another _snap_ from the tree line. For a brief second, there's a break in the clouds, illuminating the night with a pale glow.

It's then that I see the person standing slightly behind a tree, their eyes trained on us.

My eyes widen as I see the familiar face staring back at us—or at me, rather. I swallow thickly, taking two steps backward as he grins; the same evil and twisted smile I had seen every day until he disappeared. Or so I thought.

"Bella, what is it?" Edward, grabbing my arm and stopping me from going any further. He steps in front of me, blocking my view, but I know he's still there, watching.

"Ty-Tyler," I choke out. My lungs burn and my eyes sting as my vision blurs. I remind myself to blink and breathe, finally taking in huge lungfuls of air as I blink rapidly.

"Are you sure?" He quietly asks. "Maybe you were just seeing things…"

"I know what I saw," I insist in a whisper. "It was Tyler."

"Bella," he starts, but pauses, shaking his head with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.

He doesn't have to continue; I know what he's going to say. Tyler Yorkie isn't stupid enough to come back here; not after what happened.

A year ago, Edward and I had just begun dating and after our three month anniversary, strange things began happening.

Everywhere I went, I felt eyes on me. I couldn't shake the feeling no matter where I went or what I did. Since I never saw anyone, I convinced myself I was going crazy and just nervous about being in my first serious relationship.

Shortly after that is when things started to progress; flowers would be left on my doorstep, along with gifts and notes, saying how beautiful how I was and how much I was needed.

At first, I thought it was Edward and I was flattered and immediately over the moon for his romantic gestures, but I was confused when he never mentioned them.

I didn't say anything until pictures of me starting showing up. At first, they were shots of me out in public; at the store, at my classes, at work, out with my friends and even a few of me out with Edward.

The really scary ones, however, were of me sleeping.

Along with the pictures were notes about how beautiful I was and what was going to be done to me once I was alone with them.

Instantly, I knew Edward was _not_ doing this. My suspicions were confirmed when I called Edward in a panic, hysterically crying about the picture that was taken of me sleeping the previous evening.

He came over right away, searching my apartment from top to bottom, finding no way someone could have gotten in. He had offered to stay over, but I was too creeped out to stay in the apartment.

I didn't know how this person was getting in, but they _were_ and that terrified the ever loving hell out of me.

Knowing I wasn't comfortable in my apartment any longer, Edward suggested that I move in with him and his best friend, Tyler.

I was leery, at first; to me, Tyler was strange. He was always very eager and a little _too_ friendly, in my opinion. Whenever I'd spend time at their apartment, he would run up to my side, asking me if I needed him for anything. It didn't matter what the task was; carrying in groceries, doing the dishes, cleaning or laundry. He always there, standing a little too close for comfort. I always refused his help with a smile, making sure there was plenty of space between us.

Often, when Edward was there, I'd find Tyler writing in a journal. In between his bursts of furious scribbling, he would stare at me with a twisted looking smile on his face.

Edward insisted he was just very enthusiastic and energetic, but friendly and harmless. He also said he thought Tyler was lonely because no one else could stand his "lively" personality, except for Edward, whom he had known since pre-school.

He insisted I would come to value Tyler as a great friend, just like he did. I just needed to give him a chance.

Against my better judgement, I agreed and moved in with Edward and Tyler. At first, things were tense but okay. Tyler was still eager and took every opportunity to greet me enthusiastically when I came in the door, but thankfully kept his distance. The staring, however, continued when Edward wasn't looking. I brushed it off, thinking I was being too paranoid.

One afternoon, I came home early from work to find the apartment empty. Or so I thought.

Exhausted from the trying day, I jumped in the shower and when I came out, Tyler was leaning against the vanity, his journal held tightly in his hand as his eyes took in my towel-clad form.

I screamed for him to get out, but he just stood there, staring with a hungry look in his eye. Edward came in just as I was about to throw my shampoo bottle at him, asking what the screaming was about.

When he saw Tyler in the bathroom with me, he yanked him out by the collar, and threw him into the hallway, hollering.

Hurriedly, I got dressed and ran out into the hall as I heard Edward shout louder than before.

Tyler's bedroom door was open and Edward stood in the middle of it, ignoring Tyler's screams to leave his room as he stared at the wall over his bed with a mixture of horror and disgust.

Slowly, I walked in, taking in the surroundings. I had never been in Tyler's room, mainly because I had no desire to be there, but also because he kept it locked, whether he was in the apartment or not.

Finally seeing Edward was staring at, I gasped. There were pictures of me; some of which I had seen before. They were the ones left outside of my apartment. The others were all from me living here: sitting in the living room, cooking in the kitchen, sleeping. There were even a handful of me in bed with Edward.

Bile filled my mouth at the sight, knowing he had been close enough to get these pictures. _How_ I didn't know, but that wasn't the point. The point was, _Tyler_ was the one who had been following me around all this time.

Edward, looking more furious than I had ever seen him, grabbed Tyler by the neck and started to punch him.

I stood frozen, in shock, not really comprehending the scene unfolding before me. My eyes were still glued to the pictures adorning Tyler's wall.

It wasn't until I heard a grunt and I was pushed into the wall that I snapped out of it.

Tyler had gotten away from Edward by sweeping his legs out from under him before taking off out of the apartment. Once Edward got back on his feet, he tore off after him, but lost him in the busy streets.

As soon as he was back, Edward called the police, reporting his roommate and now, ex-friend.

The police came by and collected the evidence, sharing a few notes Tyler had written in an old notebook.

The officer wouldn't give us all of the details, only telling us that Tyler had planned on kidnapping me and eventually murdering me sometime in the near future. Whatever he had written was extremely specific and gory, leaving the horrified officer with a green complexion. He assured us we'd have no problem getting a restraining order and a warrant would be immediately put out for Tyler's arrest.

After that, Edward and I moved out of the apartment, no longer feeling comfortable there. Months passed with no word from the police about Tyler's whereabouts, though they suspected he'd fled to England, where he had talked about frequently in his journal.

To be honest, I've always been nervous about Tyler returning, despite Edward's and the police's assurances that he was most likely no longer in the country. It didn't make me feel any better, knowing he was out there somewhere.

I wanted to believe he wouldn't come back either, until I thought I saw him a few days ago. Stupidly, I had thought I imagined seeing him while Edward and I were out shopping. I had done a double take, ready to scream as I looked back at him, but there was no one there.

I brushed it off and chalked it up to the anniversary of that horrid night coming up. Now, I wished I had said something.

"Bella," Edward says, quietly and calmly. "We would have been informed if he was in the area."

"The police can't have eyes everywhere, Edward. Besides, it's been a year. They have more important things to worry about than a year old case."

I stare him, silently imploring him to believe me. I can see the debate on his face as he thinks over what I've said. When I tell him I thought I might have seen him before tonight, his eyes bulge from his head.

"What? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought I was seeing things! He was gone when I looked back!"

He clenches his jaw, looking around with the flashlight once more.

"All right. Let's get to the Inn and call the police."

He pulls me to his side, wrapping his arm tightly around my shoulders. I wind my arms around his waist, anchoring myself to him as we hurry down the road. The clouds move over the moon again, encasing us in darkness one more.

"How much farther?" I quietly ask through gasping breaths.

"I … I don't … I'm not sure."

Confused, I look up at him. "How are you not sure? Didn't you research this place? Look at directions to wherever we're going? I mean, you found this place. You have to know _exactly_ where it is, right?"

He shakes his head. "No. I got a print out from the—" he pauses, swallowing loudly. "Oh, shit."

"What? What is it?" I grip Edward's side tighter as he looks down at me, eyes wide.

"The paper for this place was on our front door. I thought Alice gave it to me after I mentioned surprising you with a Halloween ghost tour getaway. She thought it was good idea."

"Okay," I say, not understanding his trepidation. That sounds like something my best friend would do. She knows all about the haunted places around here. It doesn't surprise me she would give him a suggestion of one.

"You don't understand. When I ran the idea by her on the phone, I was at the house. The paper was on the door twenty minutes later, because I left shortly after I called her; she was across town with Jasper. Even if she _could_ make it to our place that far away, why wouldn't she have given me the information directly? My car was in the driveway."

It takes me a moment, but I finally catch on to what he's trying to say. "You think Tyler…?"

He nods. "He got into your apartment and our room without us knowing. Plus, he's gotten away from the police. It's not so far-fetched he could get inside our new place and spy on us."

My heart lurches into my throat. At any moment, I think it'll be on the ground at my feet.

"We have to get out of here!"

I start to turn, heading back in the direction of our car when a figure runs out in front of us, knocking us down. I immediately see Tyler's grinning face, a crazed look in his eye. Unable to help myself, I gasp as I notice the blood covering his face. The sight makes my stomach lurch, but I manage to swallow down the nausea.

Immediately, Edward jumps up and lunges at Tyler, the sound of flesh hitting flesh meeting my ears.

"Bella, run!"

I hesitate for a moment, before standing my ground and jumping on Tyler's back, my fingernails digging into his eyes.

I cringe against the wet flesh on his face and feeling of his eyeballs under my nails, thinking only of helping Edward so we can get out of here.

Tyler screams at my attack, yanking me off his back and tossing me aside with a growl. The breath leaves my lungs in a rush as I heavily land on the ground, everything around me falling dark and mute for a moment.

A rush of sound and sight comes back at once as I recover from the attack and I see Tyler retrieve a long knife from his side just as I scream for Edward to look out.

My warning is too late as Tyler plunges the knife into Edward's stomach. He grunts and his face twists in pain, but he still manages to deliver a punch to the underside of Tyler's jaw, knocking him back.

"Run, Bella! Get help!" He roars, charging for Tyler once more, his stomach bleeding profusely.

Through clouded eyes, I scramble onto my feet, grab the discarded flashlight, and take off down the road.

I hate to leave him, but I need to call the cops and get a weapon. Something preferably very sharp. I can't help Edward with a just a flashlight.

Above me, the clouds part slightly, allowing more to be seen. If I'd thought it was bad before, it's nothing compared to what I see now; rows upon rows of trees, some barren of leaves, their branches forming skeletal shadows on the worn pavement below my feet. Other trees still hold their leaves and the shadows they make are no less terrifying.

In the shapes of bony hands with long fingernails, they move toward me as the clouds move across the sky, hiding the moon.

"Bella!" I hear shouted from behind me, Tyler's voice echoing off the trees. A chill runs through me, my skin crawling with fear. "You can't run! I have such plans for you."

He laughs, the sound deep and menacing. It's the sound of pure evil.

I push myself to run faster, my eyes becoming obscured with tears. I have to find help; hopefully, _someone_ lives out here and has a phone. I just hope I can make it, but I'm not sure I have the strength. Each step weakens me further and my legs are burning more the longer I go on. I fear if I continue on any longer, I'll fall and become a victim to whatever plans Tyler has for me _._

Up ahead a few feet, I see a faint flickering orange light and keep that in my sight as I continue on, sweat pouring down my back and my heart thundering in my ears, blocking out everything else around me. I just have to make it to that light; hopefully, help lies there.

My eyes remain focused on that light, and I fail to see the large branch directly in my path. I trip over it, throwing my arms out to catch my fall. I hiss as the sting of the earth scraping against my skin, breaking open the flesh there.

I lay on the road, panting and crying, trying to force my legs to get up, but they don't cooperate. Instead, they lay there like useless lumps, the muscles convulsing under my skin. I gasp repeatedly, trying to quell the burning in my lungs, but with each breath it gets worse.

Behind me, I hear something crunch and I stiffen.

Slowly, I turn my head slightly and peek over my shoulder, seeing an old, worn scarecrow on a post not three feet from me. Its body shape is incredibly lifelike; is it Tyler? Is he playing with me?

Studying it further, I notice the figure isn't breathing, but I can't really be sure. It's too dark to see.

Biting my lip to keep my cries quiet, I turn back around, seeing a decrepit farm house, the rotted-looking wood a dark brown, almost black color. Vines and other vegetation slink up from the ground, wrapping around the house and through the broken or missing windows.

The porch with missing railings and holes in the floorboard houses the source of the flickering light; a Jack O' Lantern, an evil grin carved on its face.

 _This is not good. Not good at all._

Realizing there is no good way to go, I decide I'd rather take a chance on this house than face Tyler without a weapon.

Slowly, I drag myself forward, not having enough strength in my legs. I reach the porch and use my shaking muscles to pull me up the steps. Winded from the effort, I manage to pull myself to the door, cutting myself from my knee to the middle of my thigh on a nail jutting out from a post that used to hold a missing rail. I cry out, feeling the blood begin to pour down my leg.

In an effort to stop it from bleeding, I unwrap the hoodie from my waist, tying it tightly around my leg.

Now at the door, I bang my hand against the surface, hoping someone lives here and can offer assistance.

My pleas are not answered the way I expect them to be, however. As I hit the door, it swings open, banging against the wall with a loud crash. The inside of the house is dark, with no signs of life anywhere.

Swallowing heavily, I use the door frame to help myself up and wince as the pressure on my leg causes the cut to throb. Hobbling inside, I use the flashlight in my hand to look around.

The inside of the house doesn't look nearly as bad as the outside. It's a little dusty and there's some trash littered on the floor, but upon seeing the condition of the exterior, you'd think it'd be just as bad, if not worse, inside.

To my left is what appears to be a living room. The furniture resting inside is all covered with what used to be white sheets. Now, they're light grey, thanks to the accumulation of dust.

To my right is a staircase, leading to the upper level of the house. There's no way I'm going exploring in this place until I have a weapon, that's for sure.

Just ahead of me is a counter, with a sign reading, "Welcome to the Sanctum Hill Inn" on the wall behind it.

Frustration and hopelessness weigh down in my stomach. It's obvious this place hasn't been used in some years and I doubt there's anyone here who can help me.

However, there _might_ be a weapon in the kitchen or maybe a phone that still works. It's a long shot, but it's something I have to check out.

Limping through the Inn, I begin searching every drawer and space I see, looking for a phone or something that can be used as weapon. Each time I come up empty, dread fills me more, and my mind wanders to Edward, conjuring up horrible scenarios he could be experiencing at the moment. It only makes my searching more frenzied, as I begin tossing things onto the floor, not caring about the mess I'm making.

My search in the living room and dining room is fruitless and as I move forward as quickly as I can to what I can only hope is the kitchen, I hear the faint sound of a creaking floorboard.

My grip on the flashlight tightens so much that my hand begins to throb from the force used.

I debate calling out, but decide against it. I don't want anyone to know where I am, especially if Tyler is in here with me.

Silently, I continue on to what I hope is the kitchen and push the swinging door open, quickly skimming the room with light just in case someone is in here. I don't know whether I'm relieved or apprehensive that it's empty, but now isn't the time to dwell on it.

Immediately, I start pulling open drawers, feeling the dirt and grime transfer onto my palms as I ransack the contents. After the fourth drawer, I growl in frustration.

 _There must be_ something _here._

Pulling open another drawer, I almost laugh out loud in relief, seeing a set of knives resting inside. They're old and slightly brittle with what looks like rust, but it's better than nothing.

Putting a few of the smaller ones in my back pocket, I take the biggest knife out of the drawer, holding it tightly in my trembling hand.

Steeling myself, I make my way out of the kitchen, in search of a phone. If one isn't on this floor, however, I'm not going upstairs to look for it. I doubt Edward has that kind of time.

The kitchen, luckily, has another door on the other side of the room. Hopefully it'll lead to a phone.

As I make my way toward it, I hear another creak, louder this time, but can't make out where it's coming from. In a place this big and old, it's too hard to tell where the sounds are coming from and whether they're from age or a person.

 _Hopefully, it's just due to the house being old._

My hopes are slim, but I can dream. Plus, I'm armed now. It's not a great weapon, but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing.

The area I've walked into appears to be a small office, resting off to the right of the inn's front desk.

A medium sized desk sits in front a huge window, and a row of filing cabinets lines the wall to the left of me.

 _There has to be a phone in here._ Please _, let it still work._

After checking the area and finding it clear, I walk through, keeping my weapon up high. Looking around, I move the light in every direction, trying to give as much illumination to the space as possible. The huge window overlooking the large grassy area is completely worthless. There's still heavy cloud cover, threatening rain and hiding the moonlight.

As the beam of light hits one area, I think I hear a creak and immediately turn back to where I heard the sound coming from, but there's nothing there.

I tremble, feeling the threat of tears start to sting my eyes. I blink them back, knowing now isn't the time to break down.

Going further into the room, I find an old rotary phone on the dusty desk. Breathing a sigh of relief, I briefly close my eyes, hoping it still works.

Shuffling toward the desk, I collapse against the side of it, hearing something fall onto the floor. Picking the item up, I realize it's a small journal. Surmising it must belong to the Inn, I put it down and focus on the phone.

Picking up the receiver, I scream and throw it across the room in frustration when I hear no dial tone.

Leaning against the desk, I try to come up with a plan on how to save Edward, when I realize I didn't hear the phone crash against anything when I threw it. If _anything_ had been in that area whether it be a chair, a bookcase or even the wall, it would have made some sort of sound, but I didn't hear anything.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up as my skin erupts in gooseflesh. I stiffen, feeling my muscles protest and my wound throb. I try to swallow, but I find my mouth extremely dry.

Taking in a shaky inhale, I grip my knife and flashlight tighter, slowly turning around to where I had thrown the phone.

A half gasp and cry leaves me as Edward's body—along with a few others—lie in a bloody heap on the floor. Their clothes and flesh are torn, hanging down like tattered rags, the white of their bones exposed. Edward's eyes are open, staring at me lifelessly.

My stomach lurches and I bend at the waist, expelling the contents of my stomach.

Once I stop heaving, I glance back at Edward again, feeling a pain shoot through my chest.

 _Oh my God. Is this real? This can't be real. Please … don't let it be real._

I shuffle a tiny bit closer, wanting to be sure whether he's dead or alive. With a shaky hand, I reach out and grab his cooling one, feeling something wet and slack in his palm. Pulling it from him, I realize it's a piece of paper, saturated in blood.

Using the light, I squint, trying to make out the smeared writing through glassy eyes.

 _She's so beautiful. She'll be good for my collection. Her skin is so pale; her blood will look good look staining her skin as I cut into her, watching her brown eyes glassy with tears as she cries in pain._

 _I'll take joy in her suffering but I won't kill her quickly. I learned my lesson from the last time. Lauren, I think her name was. What a waste she was. If she hadn't have thrashed so much, she would have lasted longer, instead of dying in an hour. Stupid bitch._

 _This time, I'll make sure Bella lives longer than anyone else. It'll get me through many lonely nights._

 _I can't get a good time to take her, though. That pain in the ass, Cullen, is always around and she is always with him. It's sickening._

 _I'll take care of him, too, but he'll be the first to go. Maybe. I kind of like the idea of keeping him alive and making him watch Bella suffer. I'm not sure yet._

 _Decisions, decisions…_

 _Until I decide, I need to find a perfect location to bring them. Somewhere isolated … somewhere remote. But where?_

 _There's an abandoned inn on the outskirts of town. That might work._

Choking back a sob, I realize the writing belongs to Tyler; I remember the officer telling me about a previous victim and Lauren was her name. I remember asking about her, if she was ever found and the officer simply shook his head. Until that moment, she was only considered missing.

Looking back toward Edward's body, I start to reach for him again, intent on looking for a pulse, but pause when I hear something tapping on the window behind me. Slowly, I turn and choke at the sight inches from me, separated only by a sheet of glass.

Tyler stands, his forehead pressed against the glass, as he watches me. I'm shocked at the sight of him; dark circles under his eyes, his complexion pasty and ill-looking, but the most surprising feature is the state of his mouth.

The corners of his mouth have been cut upward into a macabre smile, much like the Jack O'Lantern on the porch.

He doesn't even look human anymore.

I gasp, unable to help myself, willing my legs to move, to run, to escape, but I'm frozen, my blood now ice, sending shooting prickles to all of my extremities.

Bubbling up my throat, I release the scream I had been holding in just as his hands shoot through the glass, grabbing my shoulders.

My eyes pop open as I gasp, my body drenched with sweat. A scream is still on my lips, but I manage to hold it back as my eyes dart around the room, seeing the familiar surroundings.

The picture of me and Edward on my birthday, when he took me to go stargazing; the antique lamp I had fallen in love with from the flea market two days ago. I had been sad to see the steep price, because I thought it would go perfectly in our bedroom.

That evening, Edward had pulled it out of the trunk with a huge grin, telling me how he saw me eying it. I was so happy, I jumped into his arms and planted a big kiss on his lips before taking him inside and showing how _happy_ I was about his gift.

The ceramic pumpkin I've had for years sits on my nightstand, the flameless candle still going strong after being on all night, in preparation for tomorrow, which is Halloween. Though, after looking at the clock, I can see it's _already_ Halloween, considering it's after midnight.

I suppose the reason for my nightmare is due to the creepy horror movie we watched before bed and Edward telling me where he's taking me for my Halloween surprise. At first, he had intended to keep it a secret, wanting to surprise me, but after he talked to my best friend, Alice, she reminded him how I hated surprises, and he caved.

Apparently, he had found a haunted inn that specializes in ghost tours and overnight stays. From the pamphlet he was given, the area where the inn is located is pretty famous for ghost sightings, strange activities in the rooms, and even seeing peculiar shapes in the woods.

In addition to all of that, I _did_ think I had seen Tyler at the flea market when Edward and I were there. After talking to the police, I was assured it wasn't possible.

Thanks to the evidence found in his room, Tyler is wanted for questioning for the disappearance of eight missing women in the Port Angeles and Seattle areas. The police in both cities are on constant lookout for him, as he's considered extremely dangerous.

Due to his history with me, the police issued a guard outside of our house, as a precautionary measure.

When I was told that by the police, I was extremely comforted. At least we have backup, just in case I _wasn't_ seeing things.

I guess the mixture of the movie, hearing about the inn, all of this shit with Tyler, and my overactive imagination thinking of the 'what-ifs,' had the ingredients for one hell of a nightmare.

Seeing the familiar things in mine and Edward's apartment relaxes me, though my heart is still pounding away in my chest. Behind me, I feel movement shortly before a hand comes to rest on my hip. I sigh once more, burrowing backward into Edward's chest. I don't feel any more calm; in fact, I still feel scared and I still have the urge to run as far away as I can. I guess my nightmare scared me more than I thought.

"I just had the strangest dream," I start before delving into my nightmare. When I'm finished, I laugh lightly, hoping that acting like I'm fine will make me feel better. "Pretty weird, right?"

My muscles lock as I hear the knob from the bathroom door turn and the hinges squeal into the darkness as the door opens. My eyes widen as a person steps into the room, their face visible thanks in part to the pumpkin and moonlight shining through the blinds.

"Who are you talking to, baby?"

I start to whimper as I realize the nightmare I'm currently in as everything sinks in and I hear a familiar voice that is _not_ Edward's whisper in my ear.

"I have _such_ plans for you, Bella."


End file.
